Jasper's Day
Jasper Knoester is the dean of the Faculty of Science. How is he doing, what exactly does he do and what does his day look like? In each newsletter, Jasper gives an insight into his life.
Saturday 26 July - ‘A day in Scheveningen is a trip down memory lane’
I wake up to a quiet house. My family left for China last weekend for a long stay, with a ten-day break in Japan. I’ll join them in Shanghai in mid-August. For Jasmijn, it’s the start of a long spell in Asia. After missing out on a place in her preferred degree programmes, she decided to take a gap year, spending the first part in China, Thailand and Vietnam. She loves travelling, so she’s in her element for now.
For me, a few weeks alone at home in the summer has become something of a tradition. Just like in previous years, I can work on tasks that need a lot of focus, with time in between for sport.
A summer of big plans and even bigger to-do lists
There’s plenty on the agenda this summer. Based on the recommendations of the working group led by Marcellus Ubbink, and further discussions with the scientific directors, I’ll be drafting a proposal for the new personnel policy for academic staff in the faculty (‘Academia in Motion’).
There is plenty to do
We also need to take the final steps to make sure the new knowledge security policy gets off to a good start on 1 October, especially when it comes to communication. I need to prepare a new slide deck for my visit to Taiwan at the end of August, write up a positioning paper on the national science and technology domain ahead of the upcoming government talks, and start thinking about my speech for the faculty’s opening of the academic year on 2 September. I also want to finish a manuscript for a scientific publication. And then there are all the smaller items on the list. Plenty to keep me busy.
A day out in Scheveningen with Henk
But today is a day for celebration. I’m going to a birthday party. Not a big one – that’s not really my thing. It’s for my favourite cousin Henk, whose birthday was in May. I gave him a day out in Scheveningen and The Hague as a present, and today we’re making it happen.
Henk was born in Scheveningen. I wasn’t, but my parents and all my ancestors were. That goes back generations, so this seaside and harbour town holds a special place in our hearts.
Cycling to the Muzee
Before Henk arrives, I do the shopping and go for a swim. At one o’clock, he rings the bell. After coffee or tea with something sweet, we hop on our bikes and head for Scheveningen. The main goal is a visit to Muzee Scheveningen, a museum entirely dedicated to the town, housed in the old municipal school on Neptunusstraat.
It’s quiet, so we take our time exploring every room. A lot has changed since we were last there – more than twenty years ago. We get a warm welcome from volunteer Pronk, whose surname we share through our grandmother.
In Scheveningen, there have traditionally only been a small number of family names, a reminder of its origins as a small fishing village. While the museum as a whole feels a bit of a mixed bag, there’s plenty to enjoy – especially the old photographs and paintings of the town and harbour, and the rooms about old family businesses.
A bike ride full of memories
Afterwards, we take a bike ride through the town, stopping at familiar spots. Of course, we cycle along the promenade and the harbour, past Henk’s birthplace and the beautiful house where both our mothers were born. A trip full of memories.
The pier is a remarkable structure, always seeming to be in decline
We head back home for a drink and a chat in the garden, then go into the city for Indonesian food – a favourite for both of us. The Hague has no shortage of options. We go for a delicious and generous rice table, which we almost, but not quite, manage to finish. For dessert, we first take a stroll through the old city, then cycle back to Schevningen. There, we get ice cream as the ‘real’ dessert and walk along the pier – something we haven’t done in decades.
It’s still a remarkable structure, always seeming to be in decline, yet on a summer evening with lots of people about, it makes for a pleasant outing. We enjoy the views, then take another short walk along the promenade before cycling home again. Back at the house, we do a small job together, have another drink, and catch up on the latest news.
Close family ties do not easily disappear
By around eleven, we call it a night. Henk stays in the guest room, and as the house falls quiet again, I lie in bed thinking about the day. The world changes fast, but a close family bond and a link to the past are not so easily lost. And that’s a comforting thought.’